Close to My Heart
by omgitsalexmarie
Summary: When Princess Abrielle learns that her Father is forcing her to get married, she runs away. Following her heart, she embarks on a journey. Along the way, she discovers thing she never knew about life and love, and finds out who she truly is.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hey everyone! This is my very first story and I've been debating all day whether I should post this or not. My sister told to just go and do it and so, as you can see, I did. Any reviews are greatly appreciated: Good reviews would be lovely but if this story sucks, please tell me! Just try to say it in a somewhat nice way. (: **

***Any resemblances between the characters in the story and people in real life are unintentional.**

"Abrielle," my father said in a stern tone, "you are now sixteen years of age."

_What is this about_, I thought to myself, _does he think that I am so stupid that I do not know my own age_? We had just finished eating breakfast when Father spoke these obvious words to me.

"You are now sixteen," he repeated, "and I think that it is time that we arrange a marriage for you."

I just stared at him as though he had said that my sister had grown another set of eyes and two more noses. _Marriage? Marriage? I'm just sixteen_! After another good minute of sitting with my jaw wide open in shock, I voiced my opinions out loud.

"But, Father," I pleaded, "I'm just sixteen. I've barely begun to live. You can't do this to me!" I gave him my best puppy dog eyes and stuck out my lower lip in an attempt to break his resolve; but Father did not falter.

"As a princess, Abrielle," Father explained, "it is expected that you are married before your seventeenth birthday. I thought that you knew that."

"I did," I said with a defeated sigh, "but I didn't think that you would actually follow that custom."

"Well, I would and I am," he said resolutely. "And when Corinna turns sixteen, I will have this same conversation with her."

I thought about the whole marriage arrangement ordeal and felt sorry that my little sister would have to go through the same thing. _But at least Corinna's beautiful and confident; I'm the exact opposite, no one would ever want to be married to me. _"Is there any use in me fighting this?" I asked while laying my head on the table.

"None at all," he said with a hint of humor in his voice. I look up and saw Father smirking at me, which made me a little bit angry. Not wanting to make a scene, I quickly got out of my chair and addressed him before leaving.

"I'm going upstairs, Father. Do I have anything planned for today? Because I'd very much like to go upstairs and fall back asleep."

"Of course, darling," Father sighed, "I know that this must be difficult for you. I will have Riva wake you up in a few hours." I made a small curtsy as Father bowed his head.

And with that, I marched out the dining room doors and up the stairs to my bedroom, where I laid back down on my bed and fell asleep almost instantly.

x X X x

I was in the middle of a dream in which Corinna and I were having a picnic in the royal gardens when I felt a light shove against my shoulder and my maid, Riva, telling me to wake up.

"You must get up now, Princess Abrielle;" she said sweetly, "the king wants you to be ready in an hour for a ride. He has already ordered for your horse to be saddled and Corinna's as well. As long as you promise to keep to the trail, the king will let you and your sister ride alone."

Brightened by her words, I quickly pushed the covers off of me and got out of bed. I gave Riva a big hug and asked her to draw me some water for a bath.

Riva had been my maid since I was about 10 years old. She wasn't very old, maybe in her late 20s, and had tan skin, brown hair that she always kept in a neat bun, and beautiful gold-green eyes. She was very helpful and was like a mother to me, since mine had died when I was 8 and Corinna was 6.

Once Riva had gotten my bath ready, I got in and soaked in the water for a few minutes. After I washed up, I got out and changed into the green dress that Riva had picked for me to wear. I put my long blonde hair into a simple bun and arranged my gold crown on top.

Then I went downstairs where I found Corinna and Father waiting for me. "Abrielle, you're finally here!" Corinna squeaked.

"But Corinna," I said, "I'm perfectly on time." Corinna just made a little _hmphing_ noise. I looked at father. "I am on time, am I not?"

"Yes dear, you're on time," he said.

"Now, if you girls promise to stay on the trail, I will let you ride Bima and Calista by yourselves." Corinna and I both nodded excitedly in agreement and made a quick promise.

Father then had one of our servants, Elden, walk us to the stables. As I walked up to my beautiful chestnut brown horse, Bima, I felt the weight that had settled on my shoulders after breakfast this morning disappear.

My horse always made me feel better, and I was glad for the opportunity to go riding. I mounted Bima with no problems and laughed as I saw Corinna having difficulties mounting Calista, her dapple gray horse. After a few more minutes of struggling and a few tips from me, Corinna was leading the way onto the trail with me following right behind her.

After about 20 minutes of just riding in silence, Corinna had Calista stop. _What is she doing?_ I thought. I was even more confused when she got out of her saddle and came to stand next to Bima and I.

"What's wrong, Abrielle?" she questioned, "You looked so unhappy and tense this morning and I want to make sure that my sister's okay." I smiled at her sweetness and dismounted Bima.

I moved to tether my horse to a strong tree branch and motioned for Corinna to do the same with Calista. I then sat down on a fallen tree trunk and told Corinna to sit next to me.

"This morning," I began, "Father told me that I need to be married soon. And I know that I am at the age that girls get married, but I didn't really think that it would happen to me. I just feel so scared and unprepared. I'm not ready to get married! I just can't do it, Corinna."

I was crying now. "What I am going to do, Corinna, what am I going to do? I just wish that I could get away from it all." Corinna turned my body so that she could give me a hug. She rubbed my back in circular motions while the tears flowed down my face.

"Shhh," she kept saying, "It's okay. Everything is going to be okay." When I was all cried out, I looked at Corinna and said, "Thanks, sis, you're the best." "I know," she replied with a cheeky smile, "let's start back home; I want to be back so we can have some afternoon tea."

"Alright, that sounds good to me!"

We untied and mounted our horses and went back to the castle where we enjoyed a nice steaming cup of tea.

Dinner was fairly uneventful, except for Father telling me that he was "going through a list of possible suitors for me" and saying that he would tell me when he "found someone that he approved of." I just let his words go in one ear and out the other.

I felt Corinna's eyes on me all throughout dinner but refused to meet them. I just stared at my plate until I was excused to go to my room. I gave Corinna and Father a quick hug and kiss and then went upstairs to get ready for bed and read.

It wasn't until after I lay down to sleep that the thought of running away made its way into my mind. _What if I just ran away_ my brain said _if I ran away, then I wouldn't have to deal with getting married. I could be free to do what I want and be with whom I want to be with._

After a few minutes of deliberating, I decided that I would leave the castle tomorrow night and go wherever my heart told me to. I fell asleep dreaming of the freedom that I would have once I was away from home.

x X X x

When I woke up I told Riva to tell Father that I was reading a very good book and wanted to stay inside and finish it today. I saw him at dinner and gave him and Corinna an extra tight squeeze before going back upstairs. It was time to start getting ready for what I was about to do. I sent Riva to the kitchens to get a good meal and set about packing the few things that I would take with me. I took out a small bag and packed my hairbrush, my favorite book, an extra pair of sandals, and a pen and stationary to write on. I found another pen and set of stationary and wrote Corinna, Riva, and Father each a letter. The letters read:

~ Corinna,

I want you to know that I love you very much and that I will miss you until we see each other next. You are a great friend and an even better sister. I hope that you can forgive me for leaving you, but I'm just not ready to get married and become a queen. Take care of Father for me and make sure that Riva is well. I pray that you will keep well and I know that we will see each other soon.

You're Loving Sister,

Abrielle

~ Riva,

By the time you will have read this, I will be gone. I do not know where I am going yet; just anywhere away from here. Thank you for all that you have done for me. You have been like a mother to me and I hope that you can forgive me for leaving you. Please make sure that everyone is well while I am gone. I hope to see you before long.

Much love,

Abrielle

~ Father,

As you may or may not know, I am no longer in the castle. I have gone somewhere far away from here and the thought of being forced to marry someone, which is unbearable. I know that I may seem mad or crazy to you, and maybe I am, but my heart is telling me that this is what I need to do. I hope that you can forgive me for leaving you all. Make sure that Corinna and Riva are all right while I am away and I know that we will see each other in the future.

I love you, Father,

Abrielle

I finished packing my bag and fastened a golden locket necklace around my neck. Inside was a picture of my mother (which I had added in after she had died) and a quote: "You will always be close to my heart."

It had belonged to my mother and, as the quote said, I wanted something to keep her close to my heart on my journey. I figured that I could buy everything else I needed with the large sum of money I had put into a secret compartment in my overcoat.

I slipped Corinna's and Father's letters under their bedroom doors and put Riva's on the table outside the room where she and Corinna's maid slept. I walked silently down the stairs and opened the door soundlessly.

I ran to the stables, quickly saddled Bima, and was off riding into the night. I let the wind and my heart create my path. I started by riding down our regular riding trail. I rode farther down that little trail than I had ever ridden before and found that it branched out to the left and to the right. I closed my eyes and felt a pull to choose the left path. And so, I continued to ride.

I rode throughout the night, turning onto different paths and covering a fairly great distance. The sun had just begun to rise when I reached a small town called Stinthoria. I found a stable for Bima and got a small room at an inn without any problems. When I had finished catching up on sleep, I went outside to take a look around the town. I got a pastry for dinner and walked around thinking of what Corinna, Riva, and Father were doing. Corinna and Riva were probably crying and Father was probably annoyed and upset with me. _I'm sorry for causing them trouble,_ I thought,_ but I feel as though I must do this. I couldn't stay there and get married. I just couldn't._ I thanked the innkeeper and the stable master for their hospitality and saddled Bima for another night of riding.

I rode for three more nights; sleeping at quaint, little inns in the daytime and riding different paths in the night. If anyone thought it odd that a girl was traveling alone, they didn't say anything about it. Luckily, I didn't have any trouble, until the fifth day that is.

**Go on and do it! Please! Review, review, review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello! What is this? I'm finally updating? Yes, and I feel completely awful that I left this story for so long. To be honest, I got busy, got lazy, and gave up on it. **

**IMPORTANT: This chapter has been revised, thanks to the helpful Delia Anole and the review from RoseNymph. Thanks for the encouragement!**

Again: ***Any resemblances between the characters in the story and people in real life are unintentional.**

Riding through my fifth night had left me tired and in need of a place to lie down. And to make matters worse, Bima was getting restless too.

We were close to the heart of the forest when a man jumped out from behind a tree and startled Bima, causing me to be thrown to the ground. I wasn't hurt, however, and I jumped to my feet to see who had jumped out at us.

A small man with an evil smirk on his face started to stroll towards me. I walked backwards in an attempt to get away from him, but my path was blocked by something hard. Another man stood right behind me. This one was tall and looked very strong.

The first, short man then called out, "Hey boys, look what we've got here."

About five other men came out from behind trees and bushes and made their way over to me and Bima.

I was absolutely terrified now.

I didn't know what they were going to do to me and I wished for about the millionth time in my life that I was taller. Maybe then I wouldn't have looked so helpless. I was defenseless against these men, and it looked as if they knew it.

"Such a little thing, isn't she?" One of them said.

I tried to maneuver my way around the men but one of the men caught me by my shoulders and wouldn't let go.

"Let me go!" I screamed. I started thrashing about; kicking and wiggling, anything to get out of the man's grip. But it was too tight and he was too strong. I tried to scream but another man put his hand over my mouth.

"Quiet," he commanded everyone. _Right, like I'm going to listen to this guy_ I thought. "I hear something."

And sure enough, I could hear voices in the distance; male voices.

I silently prayed, _Oh please, please let these men help me. Please help me get out of this okay._ I heard the voices coming closer. I was confused when the small man said for the other men to "do it quick." _Do what quick? _I thought to myself; and then I felt pain sear throughout my entire body.

After that, my world went black and faded into oblivion.

x X X x

When I woke up, the only thing I noticed was the pain.

My eyes were still closed and I didn't want to move in fear of making the pain worse. What hurt the most were my ankle, stomach, chest, and head. My ankle was probably just sprained, but it felt like I had cracked at least one rib.

After a few minutes of just laying with pain, I realized that I was laying on something nice and warm and soft; a bed. I bolted upright and almost screamed in pain. I shut my eyes and let my body adjust to sitting.

"Oh, good you're awake," I heard a boy's voice say; "I'll go and get mum. Just stay here." _Right, like I can really move anyway. _When I heard the door open, I finally opened my eyes.

A boy about my age was standing in the doorway while a woman who must have been his mother bustled over to the bed.

"Hello, dear," she said kindly, "You were beat pretty badly. How are you feeling?"

"Like I'm in a lot of pain," I truthfully replied.

"What were you doing out in the woods all by yourself? You're lucky to be alive! I'm just glad that the boys-"

"Mum," the boy interrupted, "she just woke up and is in a lot of pain. Maybe you should just give her some medicine, check her wounds, and then let her get settled here. I'll tell her where she is and all that." "Of course, dear, you are so smart."

Then she addressed me, "I apologize, Miss…" She trailed off, unsure of my name. "Abrielle," I told her. "Right, Miss Abrielle. My name is Mena. I'm just going to check on your wounds and then I'll be leaving."

As I had suspected, my ankle was sprained and I had two broken ribs. I had also been kicked in the stomach and hit in the head. Mena bandaged my head and ribs and rubbed a salve on some of the small cuts that I had also acquired. I thanked her before she left and moved to lie back down when the boy said, "Wait, don't fall asleep yet."

I sat back up with only a little bit of difficulty and turned my head to look at him. He was tall and thin and had bright green eyes and light brown hair that was cut short. He wore a friendly smile on his face as he looked at me.

"You're name's Abrielle, right?" I nodded my head in response.

"My name's Calgary. And you've already met Mum. Dad and Zander are out hunting; you'll meet them when they come back in a few days." _A few days? _I figured that since I was hurt and didn't have anywhere else to go; staying there was probably the best thing for me to do. _Well, if they're offering, why not?_ Again, I just nodded my head.

"Where am I?" I asked Calgary.

"In Corandera. It's about 500 miles from where Zander and Dad found you in the forest. It's lucky that Zander heard you yelling, by the way. They brought you home and went back out hunting." _500 miles, this is great! This is far enough away so that it will take Father a good while for him to find me._

"Well, I am very thankful that they found me. I can't even imagine what would have happened to me and Bima if they-"I broke off.

_Bima! Where is Bima?_ I started to panic. "Where is Bima?" I asked him.

"Bima?" he asked confused. "My horse! Where is my horse?" "Oh, you're horse. Don't worry; it's out in the barn."

I breathed a sigh of relief and lied back down. "I'm going to let you sleep now, just call if you need anything." Calgary left and I fell asleep once more.

x X X x

I didn't know how long I slept for; I drifted in and out of consciousness, waking only when Mena made me eat something or when she gave me medicine. I must have slept for several days because the next time I woke up, the pain was less intense, and I found that I could sit up more easily than before.

I gingerly moved off the bed and began to make my difficult journey to the door. Using various pieces of furniture to help me, and falling once, I reached the door and opened it, only to give a little s_queak _and fell down once more.

Someone was standing right outside the door.

Embarrassed, I just sat on the floor and looked up at the stranger. He was very tall and had dark, wildly curly hair.

"Oh, damn," he said.

"Zander?" Mena called from somewhere nearby, "Is everything all right?"

"Yes, Mum," said the boy who I obviously figured was named Zander.

"Do you think you can stand?" Zander asked me.

Still embarrassed and unsure of what to do, I stared at him blankly. He sighed and, taking hold of my arms, helped me stand up.

I reached to tug on my mother's locket, as I always did when I was upset, but found that it was missing. I gasped in horror and found my voice.

"Where did you put it?" I was angry and my words sounded rude, even to my own ears.

Zander looked bewildered.

"Put what?"

"My necklace, of course! Where is it? Did you take it? Give it back!" I was now shouting and I knew that I was making a huge scene, but I didn't care; that locket was special to me, and I wanted, no, needed it back.

"I didn't take your stupid necklace," he shot back, "What would I want with a necklace?"

"I don't know, maybe to sell it!"

"Right, so our plan all along was to save you and give you a place to stay and then sell your necklace, because that makes perfect sense."

"Well who else could have taken it?" I questioned.

"Gee, I don't know," he said sarcastically, "Maybe the men who you stupidly got tangled up with. What were you doing out there alone anyways, you stupid girl."

Hurt by his words, I wriggled in an attempt to get out of his grasp. He let me fall and walked away. Kneeling in the middle of the hall, I felt more pain in the loss of my mother's locket than in my sore body.

I crawled back into the room, curled up in a corner, and sobbed. I sobbed for the missing locket, I sobbed for getting into trouble in the woods, I sobbed for the hurtful words Zander had directed at me, and I sobbed for Corinna and Father, whom I missed dearly. I heard a knock at the bedroom door and was about to politely tell whoever it was to leave me alone when I heard a more familiar voice.

"Hey, it's me," Calgary said, "Mind if I come in?"

"Fine," I sighed in reply.

He came in and sat in a chair near the corner I occupied. "So I see you've met Zander. I'm sorry 'bout him; he's a good guy, but he isn't the friendliest person around. You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, "I'm just overwhelmed with everything."

"I understand. I know that this is probably really hard for you," he said as he got up to leave. Before he closed the door he said, "Breakfast is just about to be served. I'll help you walk to the kitchen if you're feeling up to it."

"Alright," I said, "Just let me clean up really quickly and then we can go."

I quickly washed my face, changed back into my green dress, and retied my hair in a bun. I called for Calgary to come in and with his help I was successfully able to walk to the kitchen without injuring myself further. As we stepped into the bright and noisy room, I prayed that I wouldn't look like a complete fool.

**I hope that this revision makes more sense, is more realistic, and above all, I hope you like it!**


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